Garment For Accommodating External Medical Device

ABSTRACT

An undergarment for accommodating an external medical device is provided. The undergarment includes a front portion, a rear portion; a crotch portion, a waist opening; at least two leg openings, and at least one pocket defined by at least one piece of fabric secured to the front portion upon an exterior of the undergarment. At least one opening is provided between the piece of fabric and the front portion, and at least one aperture is located in proximity to a corner formed near to upper border and an inner side border of one pocket. The at least one pocket is positioned at the front portion of the undergarment in a slanted fashion. A lower border of the pocket forms an angle of between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the undergarment and, preferably, an angle of about 22 degrees.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of provisionalpatent Application Ser. No. 62/033,293, filed Aug. 5, 2014, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to an undergarment, andparticularly, to an undergarment provided with at least one pocket toaccommodate external medical devices and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

As medical technology advances, greater numbers of individuals areliving longer with chronic health problems. For health conditions inwhich the body cannot perform essential functions external medicaldevices can be used to assist and facilitate those functions.

For example, it is common for individuals to wear an external medicaldevice, such as a pump-driven medical device, like an insulin pump, atall times regardless of the individuals' activities. In the U.S., about500,000 people of all ages wear insulin pumps to better manage bloodglucose levels. While there are many medical-related advantages forwearing external medical devices at all times, wearing external medicaldevices during exercise and sleep activities can be quite cumbersome.External medical devices can feel bulky and heavy and generallyuncomfortable. In addition the external medical devices may becomedislodged and detached, creating serious medical complications.

In general, individuals utilizing these external medical devices wearconventional clothing appropriate for their individual conditions, i.e.,a hospital gown, simple undergarments, pajamas, or street clothes.Although hospital gowns ma allow easy access to the external medicaldevices by the individual and his/her health care providers, thehospital gowns afford the individual little or no modesty, comfort orwarmth. Rare is the patient who is not somewhat self-conscious visitingwith guests while clothed only in a hospital gown. Conversely, streetclothes afford the patient more privacy, but make access to the externalmedical device difficult or cumbersome. The difficulty is compounded forpatients in nursing homes who lack mobility or whose size makes movementdifficult even with assistance. Individuals who have resumed a fairlynormal lifestyle and who mingle with the general public may prefer toremain discrete regarding 10 their medical condition. For manyindividuals, as well as their families and caregivers, it is importantfor the individual to appear “normal” and not attract attention due tothe presence of external medical devices, especially those consideredunsightly. Since it can greatly affect psychological well-being, asemblance of normalcy can be a significant factor in an individual'shealth. However, when these individuals dress according to societalnorms, they often find their professional attire or conventional daywearuncomfortable or ill-suited for the external medical devices that mustaccompany them at all times. Whether hospital gown or personal clothingis worn, most undergarments do not provide support or security for theexternal medical devices, rather they offer some degree of concealment.There is a need for undergarments suitable for male and female patientsof all ages that are adapted to accommodate external medical devices soas to provide modesty for the individual, security for the externalmedical devices, and access to the devices by medical personnel and theindividual. As such, there is a need for an undergarment that canaccommodate a variety of external medical devices. There is also a needfor an undergarment adapted for external medical devices that can beeasily donned by individuals of all ages. Because it is important tokeep device sites clean and dry when an individual's undergarmentbecomes dirty, it should be changed periodically. Consequently,individuals need undergarments which can be put on or taken off with aminimum amount of effort. The easier the undergarment is to put on, thelower the risk that the external medical device will be dislodged ordetached.

There is also a need for an undergarment that can accommodate externalmedical devices and provide easy access to the insertion sites as wellas to the devices themselves. The device ports and sites can becomeinfected if not properly maintained or kept clean and dry. There is aneed for an undergarment which facilitates access to device ports andsites so that their status can be checked and proper care provided. Thepresent invention addresses these needs.

Several undergarments in the prior art have attempted to consider theseneeds. U.S. Pat. No. 7,810,172 discloses a garment for accommodatingmedical devices comprising a garment panel detachably coupled to agarment body. The garment panel contains a concealed pocket suitable foraccommodating one or more medical devices. The garment panel isdetachable from the garment body at predetermined attachment zones whichprovide access to device sites and permit complete detachment of thegarment panel. The panel may also be fixed to the garment body at anchorzones, while allowing decoupling at attachment zones. The pocket maycontain an inner compartment for receiving a supplemental material suchas an absorbing or deodorizing material. Apertures to the innercompartment allow the supplemental material to proximate device sites onthe patient body or medical apparatus stored in the pocket. Stabilizerspositioned on the interior of the garment may be used to secure medicalmonitor wires, tubing, or other devices.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,122 discloses a garment for shielding linesconnected to a patient. The garment is intended for patients with anembedded catheter. The garment has a close-fitting body with a pocket onthe inside surface of the garment at the site of the implanted catheterin which the catheter may be stored.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,142,702 discloses an upper body ostomy garment. Thegarment is loose-fitting at the waist and has an interior pocket forholding an ostomy appliance.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,477,710 discloses a garment for concealing patientmedical devices.

The garment has one or more hidden pockets on the inside surface of thefront of the garment for holding a medical appliance. When an applianceis deployed it is withdrawn from the pocket and pulled out through anopening to the exterior of the garment.

While adequate for their intended purposes, the cited prior art leavesseveral of the previously expressed needs unanswered. Furthermore, theprior art garments do not answer the need for an undergarment that isnot only easily donned and removed, but is also appropriate forindividuals of all ages. Further, the aforementioned prior art garmentsdo not answer the need for an undergarment that provides easy access tomedical device sites on individuals. None of the aforementioned garmentsprovides easy access to the medical device and device sites for quickinspection and care. Thus, none of the cited garments sufficientlyaddresses the need for an undergarment which can accommodate and concealat least one external medical device of various types.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An undergarment for accommodating an external medical device including afront portion, a rear portion, a crotch portion, a waist opening and atleast two leg openings, the undergarment including (a) at least onepocket defined by at least one piece of fabric attached to said frontportion of an exterior of the undergarment, said opening providedbetween an outer edge of said piece of fabric and said front portion;(b) at least one aperture located at a corner of said at least onepocket and passing through said interior of the undergarment; and (c)the least one pocket positioned at the front portion of the undergarmentin a slanted fashion, and wherein a lower border of the pocket structureforms an angle between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respect to ahorizontal line extended across the undergarment with about 22 degreesbeing preferable.

The garment is accommodates a programmable pump-driven medical devicefor delivering insulin, or the like, while providing comfort andsecurity to the wearer. The disclosed positioning of the pockets withinthe garment contours to an individual's natural physique, allowing theexternal medical device to move naturally against the wearer's body,thereby providing ease of motion and comfort.

In one embodiment, the disclosed garment comprises a front portion, arear portion, a crotch portion, a waist opening, a pair of leg openings,and two pocket structures. Each pocket accommodates one external medicaldevice, such as a pump-driven insulin delivery system.

In another embodiment, the pocket is defined by a piece of fabric thatis folded and then attached to the front portion located on the exteriorof the garment about the fabric's perimeter by sewing the “pocket”securely to exterior of the garment. The piece of fabric is attached tothe front portion upon the exterior of the garment such that at leastone opening is provided between the piece of fabric and the frontportion, in which an external medical device can be removably insertableinto the pocket structure.

In yet another embodiment, the pocket is positioned at the front portionof the garment in a slanted fashion in which a lower border of thepocket structure forms an angle in a range of about 15 to about 30degrees with respect to a horizontal line extended across the garment.In a preferred embodiment, said angle is about 22 degrees.

In a further embodiment, at least one aperture is located in proximityto a corner formed by an upper border and a first side border of the atleast one pocket, allowing a feed-through of a tubing, a wire, or thelike that is attached to an external medical device within a pocket ofthe garment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is described in greater detail in the followingDetailed Description, with reference to the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of the undergarment showing the pocketssecured thereto and illustrating an external medical device insertedinto the pocket.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a pattern for a pocket.

FIG. 2A shows a front view of a pocket of the undergarment, illustratingan external medical device inserted into the pocket structure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the VELCRO strips when secured to eachother to form a pocket and showing the relative location of the pockets.

FIG. 4 is a more detailed view of FIG. 3 relative to the undergarment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an under garment 10 for accommodating atleast one external medical device at a time. The garment can accommodatea pump-driven device 8, such as an insulin-pump, while providing comfortand security to the wearer. The garment is shaped to contour against awearer's natural physique, allowing the device 8 to be held in place andprotected by the body's own shape, providing ease of motion and comfort.The garment provides the advantage of potentially accommodating avariety of such medical devices that can be easily donned by individualsof all ages, while preventing the devices from being dislodged ordetached.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, undergarment 10 comprises a front portion 12,a rear portion, a crotch portion 14, a waist opening 16, a pair of legopenings 18, two pockets 20 and 21 and button holes 23. The structure ofeach pocket can accommodate the external medical device such as insulinpump. See FIG. 2A.

In one embodiment, pocket 20 is defined by a piece of fabric 29 attachedto the portion 12 of the exterior of undergarment 10 at the fabric'supper border 32 by way of sewing. Lower border 32A of the fabric is notsewn but top border 32 is sewn. Thereby, fabric 29 can be securelyattached to the front portion of the garment when VELCRO strips 28/30are pressed together. See FIG. 2A. The fabric is thereby attached to thefront portion 12 of the exterior of the garment such that no openingsare provided between the fabric and the front portion. Thereby theexternal medical device 8 can be removably inserted into the pocketusing the VELCRO strips 28/30 for opening and closure. The fabric 19 ispreferably constructed of a stretchable material. See FIG. 4.

The pocket of undergarment is also defined by said upper border 32, alower border 34, a first side edge 36, and a second side edge 38. Thepocket is positioned at the front 12 of the undergarment in a slantedfashion at an angle 39 of between about 15 and about 30 degrees to ahorizontal line 27 extended across the undergarment to provide aphysiologically advantageous orientation of the pocket such that themedical device 8 is held securely within the pocket when inserted, whileproviding optimal comfort to a wearer. In a particular embodiment, theangle 39 formed between lower border 34 and horizontal line 27 optimallymeasures about 22 degrees. See FIG. 4. Such exemplary range of anglesenable the device to stay within pocket 20 when inserted, whileproviding optimal comfort to a wearer with respect to the wearer's leg,waist, hip and abdominal muscles.

In another embodiment of undergarment 10, it comprises a first pocket 20and a second pocket 21. The first pocket and a second pocket are mirrorimages of each other wherein one edge 38 of the first pocket is locatedtowards the outside leg portion of the garment, one edge 38′ of secondpocket 21 is located towards the other outside leg portion of garment. Adistance 50 between a corner 42 formed between upper border 32 and sideedge 36′ of the first pocket and a corner 44 formed between the upperedge 30′ and side edge 36′ border of second pocket 21 is less than thedistance between a corner 46 formed by the lower border 34 and side edge36 of first pocket 20 and a corner 48 formed by the lower border 34′ andside edge 36′ of the second pocket 21. See FIG. 4. It is to beappreciated that on a larger sized garment, the first and second pocketswould be positioned further apart than upon a smaller sized garment.

The distance of dimension 50 is typically one inch and that of distance52 is typically a half inch.

As shown in FIG. 4, at least one aperture 54 is provided on the frontportion 12 of the undergarment. In one example, the at least oneaperture is located beneath the pocket, meaning in fabric panel 22 butbelow fabric panel 22A, thereby hidden from plain view. That is, fabricpanel 22A of the pocket covers aperture 54 after the fabric is foldedalong line 34. See FIGS. 2 and 4. The one aperture may be utilized toallow feed-through of a flexible tube or the like that is attached tothe external device while in a pocket of the undergarment. The apertureis preferably located in proximity to the corner 42 formed by upperborder 32 and inner side edge 36 of the first pocket 20 or corner 44 ofthe second pocket. It is to be appreciated that the aperture may also bepositioned in proximity to other corners of the pocket. In operation,the insulin pump 8 is inserted into the first pocket or second pocket byway of opening the pocket, such as opening or closing the fasteningmechanism such as VELCRO 28/30 to secure the medical device 8 in placewithin the pocket. The medical device's attached tubing may then be fedthrough aperture of the pocket and garment to the torso of the user.

An advantage provided by the invention herein is that the first pocketand second pocket of the garment allows a user to exchange sites for aninfusion period by moving a so-called infusion set from one side of thebody to the other, typically every three days. The infusion set isgenerally placed around the abdomen area, the upper thigh area, or thebuttocks area, and the placement of distance 50 between the first andsecond pockets is located in the middle of the possible infusion setlocations.

A particular advantage provided by the invention is that theundergarment may be easily donned and removed, allowing accommodationand concealment of at least one external medical device, while providingeasy access to medical device sites on individuals for quick inspectionand care.

It is to be appreciated that the principles set forth above may beemployed to form pockets in which the VELCRO strips or the like aresecured at the outer or thigh side of each pocket such that fabric panel22A folds outwardly over panel 22, as opposed to upwardly as set forthabove.

While there has been shown and described above the preferred embodimentof the instant invention it is to be appreciated that the invention maybe embodied otherwise than is herein specifically shown and describedand that, within said embodiment, certain changes may be made in theform and arrangement of the parts without departing from the underlyingideas or principles of this invention as set forth in the Claimsappended herewith.

I claim:
 1. An undergarment for accommodating an external medicaldevice, the undergarment including a front portion, a rear portion, acrotch portion, a waist opening and at least two leg openings, theundergarment comprising: (a) at least one pocket defined by at least onepiece of fabric attached to said front portion of an exterior of theundergarment, the least one pocket positioned at the front portion ofthe undergarment in a slanted fashion, and a lower border of the pocketforming an angle of between about 15 and about 30 degrees with respectto a horizontal line extended across the undergarment; and (b) at leastone aperture located within a corner of said at least one pocket andpassing through an interior of the undergarment to a body of the user.2. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, in which said angle definesabout 22 degrees.
 3. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising: means for selectably securing a lowermost part of the pocketto an uppermost part of the pocket.
 4. The undergarment as recited inclaim 3 having all edges other than the bottom of the pocket sewn tosaid front portion.
 5. The undergarment as recited in claim 1, furthercomprising: means for selectably securing opposing outermost edges ofupper and lower fabric panels comprising said pocket to each other. 6.The undergarment as recited in claim 5, having all edges other than theinnermost crotch portion directed edge of the pocket sewn to the frontportion.